I’m going to be thoroughly honest – I’m geeking out a bit on this interview. My daughter gave me her Naughty Words for Nice Writers book and I fell in love with it. Cara Bristol has a number of books and I’ve read two and reviewed them (see below). I’ll continue reading and buying her books – this says a lot because of how busy I am. She has a lot of books out there to enjoy and I can’t wait to dive into her other books. Cara Bristol writes science fiction romance novels. She brings wit and humor to her stories. Her new book launches today! Darak Dakonian Alien Mail Order Brides
Four Star Review on Goodreads – Alien Mate
Bristol has created a fun and engaging concept. She hits on the cynicism of our government along with romance – hot sexy alien romance. Star is convicted of murdering a crime boss and sent to be a mate to on Dakon an ice world which offers a necessary rock humans need for energy. Torg is hot sexy and a tribal leader. This starts a little slow though the sexy parts are wonderful. Once the action starts, it zips through the story keeping you interested and involved in the story. The critical point where Star and Torg become angry at each other (necessary in all romance genre) is over too quick. However, the pacing on the rest of the story is good and enjoyable. The women in the story are funny and smart. The men in the story are hunks and smart enough to trust their women. Overall it’s a good balance of sexy, romance, suspense, and science fiction.
Four Star Review on Goodreads – Naughty Words for Nice Writers
Bristol broaches a topic not covered by most writers – naughty words! While she includes lists and lists (which is helpful for those who write love / sex scenes, she does it with class, humor, and sincerity. She covers the typical words most writers are looking to expand on without sounding corny but she also covers other topics like spanking and BDSM. The lists are easy to read and refer to. They are organized in a logical way. One topic leads naturally into another. This was a quick read but more than that, it is a great reference book for any author writing love scenes to have sitting next to their writing space.
Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling Author Cara Bristol writes character driven science fiction romance with humor, heart, and heat. She loves introducing new readers to science fiction romance, and likes to say she writes sci-fi for readers who don’t like sci-fi. When she’s not writing (ha ha ha – she’s almost always writing) she enjoys traveling to exotic destinations and chillaxin’ with her favorite reality TV shows. Cara lives in Missouri with her own alpha hero, her husband.
Now for the questions:
1. Tell us about yourself.
I’m living the dream! I always wanted to get published, and nine years ago I achieved it. My first books were erotic romances, but now I write science fiction romance. My emphasis is on the characters and getting them to fall in love—within a futuristic setting. I’ve published more than 35 books, 15 with the publishers. In 2014, I went Indie. I’ve hit the USA Today bestseller list twice. I live in Missouri with my husband. When I’m not writing, I enjoy traveling to foreign destinations and watching my favorite reality TV shows.
2. When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I started writing fiction about 25 years go just as a hobby. Once I got published, writing morphed (quite quickly) into a full-time job. I had worked as a newspaper reporter and PR professional, so I’ve always written. But no job was as enjoyable as writing romance.
3. What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
I do read in my genre, SFR, but also I read paranormal, Regency, and some contemporary.
4. Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
Adults.
5. What is your current release or project?
Darak: Dakonian Alien Mail Order Brides #1 (Intergalactic Dating Agency). It’s part of a three book science fiction romantic comedy series. It’s a light, fun, funny book. Pure escapism. It’s a spinoff from my Alien Mate series. In Alien Mate, human women travel to planet Dakon to become the brides of aliens; in this new series, the aliens come to Earth.
6. Tell us about the key characters
Lexi is a pastry chef who comes from a well-to-do family. She’s the black sheep, who hasn’t lived up to her mother’s expectations. She intends to use Darak to get back at her family, but after meeting him, she can’t go through it. Darak is a hot, sexy horned alien she meets through the Intergalactic Dating Agency.
7. What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
Revenge is best served sweet with a hot, horned alien
Free-spirited pastry chef Lexi Sutterman has discovered that true love is pie in the sky. The only thing more difficult than finding an Earth man willing to commit is pleasing her wealthy, hypercritical family who view her as a failure. So she’s given up on both, focusing her energy on her new bakery. Now that her uber successful little sister manages to nab a well-heeled fiancé, Lexi fights back by joining the Intergalactic Dating Agency. She plans to bring a huge, purple, tentacled alien as her plus-one to the wedding.
Darak of planet Dakon isn’t purple or tentacled—he’s just seven feet of horned alien hotness. To get a woman on his world, a guy has to literally win the lottery. Tired of waiting for the Fates to send him a female, he joins the dating service to meet a nice Earth girl to call his own. He recognizes Lexi as his true mate, but realizes convincing her they’re meant to be together forever and not just a weekend will be no cake walk.
But when a sweet-tart pastry chef and a horned alien hottie fall in love, everyone might get their just desserts…
8. Share an excerpt (up to 800 words).
What rock had I been hiding under not to have known about this? The Intergalactic Dating Agency was plastered all over the ’Net—reviews, interviews, YouTube vids of the program as well as of the dates women had gone on, and even wedding ceremonies with the aliens. I stared at one woman’s purple groom. He was kind of cute in a tentacled way.
I logged onto the agency’s website and nibbled a fingernail still tasting of cherries. I read the introductory materials, the FAQs, the client testimonials. Watched the promo video of smiling couples horseback riding into the sunset. Did I really have the guts to bring an alien to my little sister’s wedding?
Thirty years old.
Freeze your eggs.
Little homemade cakes.
I opened an account and secured it with a password. Immediately, the site redirected me to a new screen.
Welcome to the Intergalactic Dating Agency! We’re thrilled you’ve decided to use our exclusive dating service. Everyone deserves to love and be loved, so we’ve scoured the galaxy to find your perfect match, the partner who will make all your dreams come true…
Before we can identify your Mr. Right, we need to get a little information about you and what you’re looking for. Please complete this short 45-minute questionnaire.
Forty-five minutes? That’s what they considered short? I almost gave up then, but the mental picture of my mother’s face when I showed up to dinner with an alien convinced me the time investment was worth it.
The first section was easy, just vital statistics: age (twenty-nine), eye color (brown), hair color (brown), distinguishing features or marks (tattoo of a cupcake on my left shoulder), height (5’6”), and weight (ahem). I answered truthfully, except for the last question in which I shaved off a few pounds. It wasn’t a complete lie. I used to weigh that. My freshman year of high school.
Why did you decide to seek an alien mate?
“Torqueing my mother’s gourd” probably wasn’t the right answer. Deferred adolescent rebellion? Ditto. I couldn’t be too honest, or I’d be screened out of the program.
“I’m looking for true love, and I’m willing to search the galaxy to find it,” I wrote. I didn’t think I had a snowball’s chance of finding amore with an extraterrestrial, but I’d give the agency a shot at helping me out. As long as I got a date for the wedding weekend, I’d consider this experience a win.
How open-minded are you? Are you aware aliens may differ physically, socially, and culturally from humans?
Well, I hoped so! What would be the point of bringing a button-downed preppie home to meet Mom?
“The heart does not see differences, it sees only similarities,” I wrote.
There were more questions designed to ascertain my psychological suitability to date an alien, and then the agency got down to specifics with a check-the-box multiple-choice section.
Your match will be based on your social and psychological profile. However, if there is an alien species you would prefer not to date, please indicate by marking the box. Dakonian, Xenian, Farian, Parseon, Arcanian, Malodonian, Rotarian, Slime Crawler, Dragonian…
I had no idea what any of those people were, but going on name alone, I omitted Slime Crawler. It just didn’t sound like we would be a good fit. Then I nixed Dragonian. It sounded too much like dragon. I wanted to shock my mother, not ruin my little sister’s wedding by having my plus-one set the gazebo on fire.
Our alien male clients are generally humanoid in appearance; however, they may have physical traits that humans do not. Are there any features that would be unacceptable to you? Please mark the box.
Tentacles
Scales
Tail
Horns
Antennae
Webbed hands or feet
Rotae
Non-humanoid flesh tones such as purple, blue, green, gold, red, or silver.
Phosphorescence
Claws
Wings
Extreme height
They all sounded perfect to me, although I had to look up what rotae meant. Turned out some aliens didn’t have legs, they had wheels. Huh. Who knew? After giving it some consideration, I nixed rotae because there were a lot of steps going down to the garden gazebo area where my sister would be getting married, and I would hate for him to roll down the stairs and hurt himself.
Although a gold-toned alien would be richly appropriate, and a silver one would match the color spoon my mother had in her mouth, I hoped for purple. A nice, bright violet with complementary yellow tentacles. If he glowed in the dark, that would be even better.
It took me 44.5 minutes to complete the questionnaire. I read it over, tweaked a few of my answers then touched submit.
Thank you for completing the profile questionnaire. We will be in touch when your perfect match is found.
9. Do you have a favorite scene?
Many favorites, beginning with the opening scene when Lexi decides to shock her mother by bringing an alien to the wedding, then when she and Darak get mugged one evening, and finally near the end when her sister is about to get married. They all made me chuckle.
10. What advice would you give a beginner?
Don’t genre hop. Pick a genre and stick to it. Be prolific and build a backlist fast. Write a series.
To purchase:
https://books2read.com/u/4Eyl9E
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